


Kubo and the Other World

by orphan_account



Category: Coraline (2009), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Coraline Fusion, Family, Gen, Horror, Other: See Story Notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:38:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8847130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A boy and his parents move to Japan, back into the Pink Palace with his grandfather and aunts—all due to an old legend, which has driven people away from renting the Pink Palace. While exploring the house, the boy finds a small door. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he decides to visit the world from the other side of the door.Perhaps, the legends about the Pink Palace might be true after all…





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, before we get onto the story, here are a few things that I think should be disclosed first:
> 
>   1. Kubo has both of his eyes in this AU—or at least in the beginning, he does… ;)
>   2. Raiden and the Sisters are actually nice! Why? Because of the roles they’ve been casted for in this story.
>   3. The OC isn’t mine; they’re actually my friend’s OC. Nico and I decided that they’ll have a role in this AU, so that’s why I put an ‘original character’ tag in there.
> 

> 
> And I think that’s all I should disclose for now. So now, onto the story!

“What? We’re… _moving?_ ”

Kubo sits in his chair at the dinner table. He looks between his mother and father, scanning their faces for any signs of a lie—but after scanning his parents’ faces, he realizes that they’re not lying.

“Yes, we’re moving,” Sariatu says.

“But… how come…?” Kubo asks, frowning.

“Because the business and its matters are over,” Hanzo answers. “And now that it’s over, we’re moving back to Japan to live with your mother’s family – your grandfather and aunts.”

“But we can’t move!” Kubo protests. “All of my friends are here! And this is where I was born—we can’t just leave!”

“Well, who knows? Perhaps you’ll find new friends in Japan,” Hanzo remarks. He then shrugs.

“But what about school?” Kubo continues. “My friends are going to be there.”

“Your father and I have already started packing a few days ago. We’ll help you pack your bags after dinner,” Sariatu explains. “Once that’s done, we’ll inform your teachers. So after we drop you off, you’ll have a ‘farewell party.’ After that, we’ll pick you up and then we’ll head to the airport for our flight.”

“I can’t believe this,” Kubo mutters as he looks away from his parents, down at the table. “I can’t believe that we’re just moving away and leaving our home, Portland…”

“You’ll still have your memories of this place,” Sariatu says. She stands up and walks over to her son, then places a hand on his back. “Just because we’re moving doesn’t mean that it’s the end of everything—it’s only a new start.”

“Your mother is right,” Hanzo agrees with his wife. “Why, this could be the start of a new adventure—a new quest for us all!”

Sariatu nods at her husband’s remark, and then the two look at their son.

After seeing the expressions on his parents’ faces, Kubo lets out a sigh, “Okay…”

“Now, let’s finish up dinner so you can start packing,” Sariatu says.

Kubo looks away from his mother, hiding his frown. He nods, and the family continues to eat their dinner.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning is spent finishing up packing. The family then drives to school, where Kubo is dropped off. Upon entering the school, Kubo’s hand is grabbed and he is dragged to a room, where a farewell party is held.

Kubo says goodbye to his teachers, before going over to his friends. “Hi, guys,” Kubo says as he approaches them. He twiddles his fingers for a bit. “I’m – I’m sorry. My parents finished their business, and now we’ve got to move back to Japan with—”

“We understand,” says one of his friends—a boy with tan skin and short brown hair. “We’ll miss you, Kubo.” His other friends nod in agreement.

Kubo then hears a teacher call out, “Kubo, your parents are here!”

The twelve year old boy turns to see his mother and father standing at the doorway. He looks back at his friends and says, “Goodbye,” before he goes to his parents.

Hanzo places a hand on his son’s back as the family leaves the school. “Don’t be sad, Kubo,” he says. “I’m sure you’ll have fun in Japan!”

Hanzo opens the front door of the car, stepping inside. Sariatu follows after, sitting next to her husband.

“Yeah,” Kubo mumbles as he opens the back door. Once he gets inside, he sits down and buckles up. “I guess…” He then looks over at his suitcase, and lets out a sigh.

The car then heads off, and the family makes their way to the airport.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The flight takes sixteen hours, but the family arrives at Japan soon enough. They catch a taxi ride, and it takes a few more hours to get to the Pink Palace, but they eventually get there.

The moving truck is already there, and the movers are already unloading the boxes.

Hanzo, Sariatu and Kubo step out of the car to take a look at the place. The house is huge, and it has many windows and rooms. However, Sariatu looks up at the roof and notices something on the top of it—an old man around the age of seventy.

Sariatu’s eyes widen. “FATHER, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” she shouts.

“Wait, that’s Grandfather?” Kubo asks as he turns to his father. Hanzo just nods silently. The father and son then look back at Sariatu.

“Oh, Sariatu, my eldest daughter!” the old man, Raiden, exclaims as he looks down and sees his eldest child. He smiles. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“FATHER, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, _GET_ _DOWN!_ ” Sariatu shouts at her father. “YOU’RE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF IF YOU STAY UP THERE!”

Raiden doesn’t hear his daughter’s words. “What? I can’t hear you! I’m on the roof!”

“WHY ARE YOU ON THE ROOF?” Sariatu shouts again, slightly concerned.

“Sariatu, I can’t hear you! Wait there, I’ll come down!” Raiden then starts to move from his spot on the roof.

“Oh, thank god,” Sariatu exhales, relieved that her father is getting off of the roof.

Kubo looks back at his father once more. “Dad, did Grandfather ever act like this back then?” he asks, surprised and curious.

“Yep,” Hanzo answers, nodding. “Though, he used to do more dangerous stunts when Sari and I started dating,” he adds.

“…is this where we’re going to live from now on?”

“Yep.”

“Why couldn’t we stay in Portland?” Kubo asks, looking down. He frowns as he continues, “I miss my friends… I miss everyone. Why did we have to move?”

Sariatu turns to her son after she hears his words. “Because my father couldn’t find someone to rent the house because of an old legend full of nonsense,” she explains as she walks over to him. She places a hand on his shoulder as she continues, “And this is where I used to live—where I grew up. This is a part of your heritage and it’s important.” She notices the frown on Kubo’s face and adds, “Besides, you can still communicate with your friends over the phone.”

“What legend?” Kubo asks, looking up at his mother. “And you might have lived here, but I didn’t… I wasn’t born here. And I know I can still communicate with them, but it’s not the same as visiting them.”

“It’s just some stupid legend about the house being cursed, but this place is safe,” Sariatu replies. “I know it’s safe because in all of my years of living here, nothing bad has happened.” Her facial expression softens as she says, “And I know this is a big change for you, but… who knows? Maybe it doesn’t have to be forever.”

“But I don’t even know Grandfather, or Aunt Washi, or Aunt Karasu,” Kubo says.

“Well, now is a good time to get to know them, don’t you think?” Sariatu suggests.

“I guess,” Kubo mumbles.

Then, a loud thud is heard. Sariatu immediately turns and sees her father. “Father, did you just jump off the roof?” she asks. Raiden merely nods. “Father, you aren’t thirty anymore—you can’t just jump off a roof!”

“I’m not _that_ old!”

“Father, you are _seventy years old!_ For god’s sake, you had to retire from traveling around the world for your shows because you were getting _too old!_ ”

Raiden waves his hand dismissively. “Oh, that’s all in the past! Just because the family’s show days are over doesn’t mean that my stunts have gotten rusty.” Raiden then stops for a moment as he looks over at his grandson.

“Wait – you must be Kubo!” Raiden says. He holds out his hand, and Kubo takes it. Raiden shakes his grandson’s hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! And you’ve grown so much since the last time Sariatu called and told me about you—I think you were five around the time.” He lets out a sigh, “Time changes fast…” Raiden looks at his eldest daughter and adds, “I remember when you and your sisters were still this big!” He makes a gesture with his fingers, as if he’s holding a small grain. “Now look at you three. You’re all grown up—and I have a grandson!” Raiden pauses. “Maybe I _am_ getting a little old…”

There’s a moment of silence. Then, Sariatu looks over at Hanzo and Kubo. She grabs her suitcases and says, “Anyway, we should get inside and start unpacking.” Hanzo and Kubo nod, grabbing their bags and suitcases. Sariatu then looks at her father and says, “It was nice seeing you again, Father—and thank you for letting us move back in.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Raiden says with a wave of his hand as the family heads back into the house. “Nobody else would take the house, anyway,” he mutters.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kubo steps onto the porch in a red raincoat with a bag over his shoulder. His expression is wary. He glances over his shoulder, then goes down the steps and moves away from the house.

Kubo heads towards the garden gate, where he goes to one of the trees and breaks off the nearest branch. He removes the stick’s leaves and aims it like a sword. He then heads into the garden.

Kubo explores the drained, crumbling pond. He finds a dead fish in the muck and holds it up. He gags and throws the fish away. He wipes his hands on his clothes before aiming his stick. He follows it up from the pond, to the back gate.

A gust of wind blows dead leaves.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The sky is dark, now gathering a storm.

Kubo crosses an old path, and as he takes one step, his foot sinks into rotting wood. He stops and holds his hands up as dead leaves blow past him. The wind is the only sound he hears.

“Hello…?” he calls out. “…who’s there?”

He grabs a rock and throws it far off where he can’t see a thing. He hears a cry of pain, and he isn’t sure if it’s coming from a human or an animal. He gasps and runs up the path.

Kubo races past an old tractor and into an orchard. The wind continues to blow. He moves past some trees whose branches carry fruit, and nearly loses his balance.

Kubo backs up in front of a stump. He breathes shakily as he looks around for the one pursuing him. _Maybe they’re gone,_ he thinks to himself. But oh, how wrong he is.

Something moves high up in the trees. Kubo hears branches and leaves shaking, and fruit starts to fall down. Then, a monkey jumps down onto the stump, letting out a cry.

Startled, Kubo whips around and yells. He is then relieved and confused when he sees that it’s only a monkey.

“A – a monkey?” he mutters. “And it’s so small, too…” He pauses, before he reaches a hand out to it. “Where did you come from?” he asks aloud.

The monkey narrows its eyes.

“I’m just exploring,” Kubo says. “I’m out on a… quest!” He then holds up his stick, and aims it around like a sword. “Like a mighty samurai!” _From Mom and Dad’s stories,_ he quietly adds. He then stops for a moment. “Do you know your way around this place?” he asks.

The monkey’s eyes blink.

“…I figured you couldn’t talk,” Kubo continues, sighing. “You’re just a monkey, after all.” He grips his stick tightly, closes his eyes and aims his stick above him, before lowering it down in the left direction.

Then, there’s a loud air horn. Kubo whips around as lightning flashes and thunder rolls. He sees his pursuer—a person with a moth-like mask, silver gloves and a red coat, which flaps in the wind.

Kubo yells as the person swoops down on their bike towards him. He tries to hit them with his stick, but his pursuer takes the stick, knocking him to the ground. They side-skip their bike, then hops off and jumps onto the stump. Thunder and lightning are at peak when they study the boy.

The thunder and lightning fade out as they take off their mask. Kubo gasps, and then realizes that they’re just another kid—most likely around his age.

Their skin is olive, and their hair is only a little darker than his. Their eyes are brown, and a little lighter than his. Their voice is soft and a little shaky, but it’s loud enough for him to hear as they ask, “What were you doing with that branch?”

“I was reenacting a part of one of my Mother’s stories,” Kubo says. “It’s about this samurai and his quest.” He runs his hand over the stick. “This stick—it’s supposed to represent his sword…” He pauses, then his eyes narrow and he frowns as he looks at the child. “Why were you and your monkey stalking me?” he asks.

“I wasn’t stalking you,” the child says, shaking their head. “And she’s not really my monkey.” They crouch and begin to scratch the monkey behind her ears. “She’s mostly wild. I mean – yeah, I feed her everyday, and sometimes I take her home with me and she’ll sleep on my pillow, but…she isn’t my pet.”

“…look,” Kubo sighs, “I’m from Portland.”

“You mean the huge city in Oregon?”

“Yeah – and I was just trying to explore this place.”

“Well, if you want to continue exploring, then you better move from where you’re standing ‘cause there’s a well underneath!”

Kubo immediately hops out of the springy circle. The child then scrapes at the ground with their foot, revealing a covering made of wood. Using a branch and a rock, they manage to pry up the covering.

“It’s supposed to be so deep if you fell to the bottom and looked up, you would see a sky full of stars during the middle of the day,” they explain. “So it’s best not to go near that circle if you don’t want to fall in.”

“Huh…” Kubo’s frown relaxes and he looks at the monkey.

The monkey tilts her head, noticing the change in the boy’s tone. She steps off the branch that wedged the well open, and its cover thumps back into place.

“It’s surprising that he let you move in,” the child continues, and they gesture towards the pink house in the distance. “The old man who owns the ‘Pink Palace’—I thought he would’ve given up trying to rent the place by now; what, with all the legends about the place being cursed and all.”

“The ‘old man,’” and Kubo makes air quotes with his fingers, “is my grandfather. Since he couldn’t find anyone to rent the place, Mom and Dad decided to move back in with him.”

“Oh – he’s your _grandfather?_ ” they ask, surprised. “I never would’ve guessed…” They pause, then they hold out a gloved hand. “I’m Gako.”

“Gako,” Kubo repeats the name. “…doesn’t that mean—?”

“—yes, it means moth child,” Gako interrupts him. “Don’t ask me why my parents named me that, because I don’t know why, either. So anyway, what’s your name?”

“My name is Kubo,” he says as he shakes Gako’s hand slowly.

“Hmm, Kubo… that means ‘sunken ground,’” Gako remarks. “It’s a nice name.”

“Uh, thanks,” Kubo says.

“Gako!” a voice calls out.

“Oh, that’s my dad,” they say. “Coming, Dad!” they shout back.

“Wait,” Kubo says suddenly. “I…don’t want to make a mistake, so…what _are_ you?”

“I’m neither,” Gako replies slowly. “…if that was what you meant when you said—”

“Yeah,” Kubo says, nodding. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

“ _Gako!_ ”

“Well, I gotta go,” Gako says. “You know how parents are like when you’re late to dinner. Don’t wanna worry them,” they laugh. They pick up their bike, wheel it around, and hold out their gloved hands. “Oh, and I’d wear gloves next time if I were you.”

“Why?” Kubo asks.

Gako points to Kubo’s stick. “Because that branch you’ve got there—it has a toxicodendron leaf on it; which is basically like poison ivy.”

Kubo gasps and drops the stick as they speed away. He starts wiping his hands on his clothes.

The monkey chatters and shakes her head with a look of pity on her face. Then, she goes after Gako.

Kubo sticks out his tongue at the monkey as he watches her leave, and then he looks down at the well’s cover. He finds a small stone and drops it through a small hole. He puts his ear near the hole and counts until he hears a faint watery “plop” far below.

Raindrops begin to fall around him, so he heads back to the Pink Palace.


End file.
